Door check and closer



No. 625,495. Patented May 23, I899.

a. w. FERNALD.

DOOR CHECK AND CLOSER.

' (Application filed m. 16, 1898.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

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(No Model.)

G. W. FERNALD.

Patented May 23; I899.

DOOR CHECK AND CLOSER.

(Application filed Mar. 16, 1898.)

3 Sheets-She 2.

WITNESSES I I NVENTD I .3: L $12 x m: Noam: PEYERS ca, Puo-rmuwoWASHINGTON, n. c

No. 625,495. Patented May 23, I899. G. W. FERNALD.

DOOR CHECK AND CLOSER.

(Application filed Mar. 16, 1898.)

3 SheetsSheet 3.

ITNE'EEES 7% X42 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE \V. FERNALD, OF NEEDHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

DOOR CHECK AND CLOSER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,495, dated May 23,1899.

Application filed March 1 6,1 8 9 8.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE WV. FERNALD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Needham, in the county of Norfolk and Commonwealth ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in DoorHolding, Releasing, and Checking Devices, of which the following is afull specification.

My invention relates to a device for regulating the action of doorsprings or weights; and it consists in so constructing and arranging theparts that the opening, holding open, and closing of the door are underperfect regulation and control.

Mechanism in which my invention is embodied is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view showing in elevationa part of a door and its casing, showing one of my regulators in itssimplest form. A doorspring is also shown. Fig.2 shows, partly in planand partly in section, the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows inelevation parts of a door and frame having my invention attached, thedoor being closed. Fig. 4 shows the same parts as in Fig. 3, the doorbeing open. Fig. 5 is a cross-section taken on lines 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig.6 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of amodification to adapt my device to a door that swings in bothdirections. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the device as shown in Fig. 6. Fig.8 is a crosssection taken on line 8 8 of Fig. 7.

In the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2, E represents a door, and E its casing.The door is hung on ordinary hinges, as H, and a spring-hinge H. Theirparts are not new and need not be more fully described. To the casing Ea plate A is attached, to which plate A an air-cylinder C is made fast.This cylinder has a small outwardly-opening valve 0. A small opening ismade in the cylinder and is partly closed by the loosely-fittin g screw0 By adj usting the screw the amount of air admitted can be regulated atwill. A closely-fitting piston B works in the air-cylinder O. The pistonB has a rod B, the end of which is connected to the sliding block B. Theblock B has also attached to it by a pivot at D a swinging arm D. Thisswinging arm D has at its outer end a series of holes D D (see Fig. 2,)adapted to receive the end of a vertically-disposed -tion shown bydotted lines in Fig. 2.

Serial No. 674,003. (N0 model.)

pivot-pin D mounted on the bracket D attached to the door E. The severalholes D D in the arm D are made for convenience in adjusting the parts.

In the operation of the foregoing parts the opening of the door movesthe pin D in the same direction, and this pin drawing on the arm Dshifts the block B toward the cylinder 0 and simultaneously pushes thepiston-rod into the said'cylinder and forces the piston B gradually tothe location of the valve 0. By this movement of the piston the saidvalve is opened and the air in the cylinder escapes and the piston andrelative parts assume the posi- When the door is closed either by thespring-hinge H or by any other device, the piston B returns against thepressure of the atmosphere or air, there being created a substantialvacuum within said cylinder'by said return of the pis ton, and as thisforms an added but cushioned and yielding resistance to the forceexerted by the said spring-hinge it follows that the inward swing of thedoor is checked and softened when the piston is brought against thecushion resistance stated. When the piston passes the small openingcontrolled by the screw 0 the air is drawn therethrough into thecylinder behind or to the left of the piston for use during a successiveopening operation. By the movement of the piston toward the left in theopening operation of the door a small portion of air in the cylinder maypass out through the small opening controlled by screw 0 but the openingregulated by the valve C beinglarger and offering comparatively noresistance the major portion of the air will outflow or escapetherethrough.

The piston B in the air-cylinder O is con structed as shown in Figs. 6and 8, which may be described as follows: The rod B has a screw-threadcut upon it, as shown, and has a fixed or check nut B against which theyielding packing b abuts. A second screwnut B is located at the otherend of the yielding packing 19 This screw-nut B has points affixed toit, which are adapted to engage with holes made in the fixed disk B (SeeFig. 8.) Hence by turning the piston-rod B, thereby causing thescrew-nut B to move against the soft packing b the said packing may becom pressed, so as to fit tightly in the cylinder.

For the purpose of automatically holding the door open I have thefollowing-described device, (see Figs. 3, 4, and 5:) A sliding casing Fis mounted upon a fixed base-piece F. The motion of the sliding casing Fis in a direction lateral to the movement of the block B. Its forwardmotion is given to it by the bentlever K K, pivoted at K The bentlever KK is arranged so that when the block B comes in contact with it when thedoor is wide open it will act upon the pin F in the casing F and throwthe said casing forward. Within the casing a spring-bolt L is placed.This bolt L moves with the casing, but also has a motion within thecasingthat is, the spring F Fig. 5, throws it forward in advance of thecasin g when it is free and allows it to be forced back into the casingby the campiece L under certain conditions, as will be explained. Thecam-pieceL' has a notch L with which the rounded end of the bolt Lengages, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. An electromagnet M operates anarmature M. The said armature has a detent M which is adapted to engagewith a corresponding detent F on the slide F and hold it forward, andthus cause the spring 13 to hold the bolt L forward in its engagementwith the notch L in the campiece L. The armature h is thrown forward bythe spring M so as to engage with and hold the casing F.

When the door is held open by the bolt L and it is desired to allow thedoor to close, the magnet lWI is energized by sending a current ofelectricity through it by a conveniently-located push-button.

The door is not held absolutely by the bolt L, as it has a roundedengaging end, and if the door is acted upon by any considerable forcethe bolt will yield, it being held by the spring F and thus allow theblock B to slide and the door to close.

In the modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the door is adapted to swingboth ways and the cylinder and its piston device is placed immediatelyover the door between it and the upper casing, as shown in the drawings.

I claim- 1. In a door check and closer, the combination with a cylinder,a piston therein, a sliding block operatively connected with the piston,

and mechanism for connecting the block to a door, of a locking-boltarranged to engage the block, mechanism for tripping the bolt, andmechanism for retracting the bolt, substantially as specified.

2. In a door check and closer, an air-cylinder having a piston andsliding block attached, means for connecting the same to the casing andthe door; a sliding bolt adapted to engage with and hold the saidsliding block, thereby holding the door open; anelectromagnetically-controlled detent adapted to hold or release saidsliding bolt, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a door check and closer, the combination with a cylinder, piston,a sliding block 0peratively connected with the piston,and mechanism forconnecting the block with a door, of a spring-actuated locking-boltarranged to engage the block, a trip-lever operatively connected withthe bolt and in the path of the block, and mechanism for retracting thebolt, substantially as specified.

4. In a door check and closer the combination with a cylinder andpiston, of a sliding block operatively connected with the piston andprovided with a curved recess, a springactuated locking-bolt providedwith a curved end arranged toengage the recess, a detent for dogging thebolt in its locked position, mechanism for withdrawing the detent, andmeans for connecting the block with a door, substantially as specified.

5. In a .door check and closer the combination with a cylinder, of'athreaded piston rod extending therein, a nut carried at the extremity ofthe rod, and a second nut upon the rod and expansible packingintermediate of the nuts, of a disk fixed within the cylinder andcooperating mechanism carried by the last-named nut and disk to retainthe nut against rotation whereby the packing may be expanded by theturning of the piston-rod, substantially as specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

